One of the most important musical events in the world returns in its usual format after two years under the sign of the pandemic. The 56th edition of this festival will be held from July 1 to 16 with a lineup for an eclectic audience. Björk, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Jeff Beck, Magma and Diana Ross are some of the central artists. The Brazilian Anitta and the Colombian Juanes are the main Latin American quotas.
Once upon a time there was a place called Montreux. A place like those described in fairy tales. Imagine arriving on a train from Lausanne: past vineyards as far as the eye can see, past small towns like Vevey and its colorful buildings. On the other, the imposing Swiss Alps. And in the middle, the railroad track that makes its way to the heart of turquoise waters, Lake Lehman. On its shore is Montreux, a city that every summer becomes the epicenter of music.
A place full of legends. Miles Davis, Prince, David Bowie, Astor Piazzolla, Etta James… It is the Montreux Jazz Festival (MJF), created in 1967 by Claude Nobs, a music lover who managed to make a dream come true: to make this small city tourism host a music festival, in its beginnings more versed in jazz, and become a world reference.
The festival has managed to transcend the times and the pandemic. In 2020, the festival moved to virtuality. In 2021 he returned, but only with outdoor concerts. This 2022 returns to its usual format, with concerts in its two main halls, the legendary Stravinsky Auditorium and the Montreux Jazz Lab, as well as a varied free outdoor program.
Adapt to a more selective post-pandemic audience
But in these last two years the music business has evolved. This festival, whose realization costs about 4.5 million euros, was able to stay afloat thanks to the measures of the Swiss Government. It was “quick and effective compensation”, explains Matthieu Jaton, director of the MJF, which made it possible to cover an average of 80% of annual expenses and avoid losses.
Now, beyond surviving, this type of event must adapt to a different behavior of the public. With the number of tours and concerts postponed in Europe, the offer is higher than the demand, up to 20-30% more in Switzerland compared to 2019. The custom was to buy tickets according to the artist and then according to the place of the event. Today the public is more selective, the notion of experience prevails, the place comes in the background and the lineup in third place.
The public has not been lacking in “festivals such as Coachella (USA), Glastonbury (United Kingdom) or We Love Green (France), they are already well-established brands, they are clear and well-positioned concepts. There we see that there is a section of the public that seeks to live the experience of these festivals and, almost secondarily, goes through the lineup,” Jaton tells France 24. “But events in small venues or without a well-defined concept have more difficulties for the public to return,” he added.
MJF copes with this thanks to the fact that it has an audience that is in the habit of attending every summer. But they also seek to attract a younger generation, the TikTok audience between 15-25 years old that seeks to be in “the place to be” and open to discovering new things. But this is also a curious generation that listens to a lot of music and from different genres.
See the music stars in privacy
The festival organizers know that they are targeting different types of audiences. On the one hand, the one who knows how to navigate the “opulence of content” and on the other, the one who gets lost in a world where 35,000 new singles come out on Spotify every day. But for everyone he maintains one of his main vocations: to select among the best of music.
“Montreux brings like a bubble, a respite, where we take the time to listen”, explains Jaton.
The programming of its two main rooms, with irreproachable sound quality, reflects that mission, according to Mathieu Jaton.
The Stravinsky Auditorium “is aimed at receiving great stars in privacy” such as John Legend or Diana Ross, who usually perform in much larger rooms. For example, the former member of The Supremes “will perform at Glastonbury in front of 125,000 attendees and two days later she will be in Montreux for the first time of her career, in front of 4,000 people,” explains Jaton.
For fans of these artists, the MJF will be the opportunity to “almost be able to touch them” on stage. At Le Lab, with capacity for around 2,000 people, “the programming is between what is fashionable and what is giving people something to talk about”, a space for artists on the rise. It was precisely in this room that Adele, Ed Sheeran, Muse or Kendrick Lamar played in their beginnings. This year we will see Black Pumas, Clairo, Nicki Nicole or Arlo Parks, among others.
Artistic freedom, the leitmotif of MJF
The experience in this case is also for the artist accustomed to massive events, as he will also be able to be part of the legendary history of MJF. Beyond this, the idea is to give you artistic freedom. Here no duration of your set is imposed on you. “If he wants to play for two hours, perfect, if he wants four, no problem,” says Jaton.
There is also the possibility of continuing this musical festival at the end of their concerts. That’s what the Jam is for, open every day from 11:00 pm. to 5:00 am A meeting place for musicians. Prince used to spend time there after his presentations, as do the musicians who accompany the pianist Herbie Hancock, who will add his 30th participation in this festival this year.
In Montreux, each artist is received with the same attention, always listening to what he needs in technical terms for his presentation or the specific requests of the musicians. That is why one of the expectations is that the show they give in Montreux will be different from the one they usually present on tour”, explains Stephanie-Aloysia Moretti to France 24, who belongs to the group of five MJF programmers.
To the needs of the artists were added those that the pandemic brought with it. In Switzerland, all restrictions have already been lifted due to Covid-19. But the festival has a flexible system, taking into account that the virus is a Damocles sword and that a new wave is expected this summer that has already begun to rise in Europe.
Mathieu Jaton explains that they work with that risk and that they are open and ready if the artist requires a test or asks the technical staff behind the scenes to take a test. It remains to be seen what would happen if an artist tests positive but still wants to perform.
Latin music gains strength at the MJF
MJF has been around for half a century because the only barrier is whether or not it’s feasible to do so. They also enjoy the freedom that comes from being a private organization that does not have to deal with bureaucracy or political decisions. “If you wanted to create something like this today, it probably wouldn’t work, no one would believe in us,” says Moretti, who has been working at the festival for 33 years.
That is why each edition brings news. This is particularly open to Latin American music because there have been major changes recently in that market. Until a few years ago, Brazilian music was the most widely exported to Europe. Now, explains Jaton, “Latin music has opened up much more, whether it comes from Argentina or Colombia. Everything that is behind stars like J Balvin or C. Tangana”.
Hence, on the 4th of July it is Anitta who closes the night at the Montreux Jazz Lab. While three days later, the Stravinsky stage will vibrate with the Mexican guitar duo Rodrigo and Gabriela, before lighting up with the Colombian Juanes accompanied by his magnificent band.
Six scenarios for free programming
The free programming is also varied, as well as being a space for emerging talents such as the Italian-Dominican Yendry, who will perform on July 8 at the Lisztomania room.
And to prolong that intimate experience with music, a new space called Lake House will open. Open from 5:00 pm to 5:00 am, it will be like “being at home,” says Moretti, who is also the curator of this place. There, visitors can enjoy a library, a movie theater, a room to listen to the more than 3,000 vinyl recordings of the concerts called “Live at Montreux”, a sound bar from the festival archives and a small room of concerts.
Every day there will be conservatories, movies and book presentations. For example, Nick Cave will come to talk about some of the novels he has published. The goal is for the public to be able to “reappropriate the history of Montreux (…) understand the music from various angles, so that the meeting with the artists can also take place offstage,” explains Stephanie-Aloysia Moretti.
This communion between the public and its stars will go until July 16. That night, the MJF will close with the jazz of the legendary Herbie Hancock and then the explosive energy of the British Jamie Cullum. A new night to continue adding to the legend of Montreux.
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